Zen wasted no more time and brought Elijah to a vast desert.
"This dry desert was once a body of water and a thriving kingdom called Uruk was here. But it was destroyed by a cataclysm ages ago. Do your people still have record of it?" Zen asked him.
"Yes, goddess. Although we haven't managed to preserve much from that time, we still have some records from this bygone civilization." Elijah answered.
"Good. Knowledge will be more important than strength as you progress through the trial. Do you know the name of the demigod who became a full god and ruled this place? Do not speak it yet if you do. Just think it and I will hear."
Elijah then said the name of the old King of Uruk in his mind and Zen nodded in approval.
"Good his name will be the key to unlocking the door you must go through to begin the Rite of Immortality. Do not speak it until I tell you."
I will await your command, divine one."
Demigods were no longer an existence to be found on Earth in Elijah's time. So he was looking forward to seeing this ancient temple. Demigods were the result of the unsanctioned union between gods and mortal women. Which was only possible because the old gods and ancient archons didn't have the laws that are in place today.
When the Earth was still young, a few gods made it into the planet the mortals know it to be today. They separated the waters, made dry land, balanced the times for night and day, and filled the Earth with life energy. Now this was all within an acceptable margin of actions to be taken by divine beings. But then one chose to overstep. An ancient god named Azazel, returned to the Earth when he saw life on the planet had reached a certain level of consciousness and sentience in a certain species that were the first humans. Azazel was intrigued by these creatures and chose to "upgrade" them.
He took a few humans and experimented on their genes until he succeeded in making a new kind of humanity that could carry the seed of a god. When some of the other old gods saw what Azazel had done, they were immediately charmed by the new human women. And so they began to sew their seed into them. This brought about the birth of demigods, nephilim, Giants, and a whole host of other creatures that were not part of the natural evolution of life on Earth.
The planet was thrown into chaos as these creatures upset the natural balance of the Earth with their unnatural existence. One demigod managed to restore order to a certain part of the Earth where Zen and Elijah were now walking. He ruled for thousands of years until the ancient archons could no longer ignore the situation on Earth and chose to wipe the slate clean with a cataclysm. Afterwards, the king and the other two immortals who had survived, were given an alternate dimension to live in so that they could not upset the balance of life on Earth anymore. Then a great barrier was formed between the heavens and the Earth to prevent any more undisciplined gods/goddesses from wreaking more havoc in the mortal realm. And laws and rites were put in place to further restrict the contact divine beings could have with mortals.
Azazel and the old gods who were the cause of all this still live. But they are imprisoned in a dimension that the new gods hope they cannot escape. But nothing lasts forever. They will be free again. And before they were merely being mischievous. Now things are different. Now that mischievousness has turned into true malice as they have been imprisoned for eons. Their divine natures have been turned from good to evil as their minds and hearts broke from the time spent in their purgatory-like prison.
Unfortunately, the new gods are aware of nome of this. And while Zemyna and Elijah are simply fighting to have a life together, all of Creation is in more with each passing day as the prison that holds Azazel and his ilk loses its strength.
"We are here." Zen said to Elijah and suddenly stopped moving.
The two of them had to walk a certain distance to the temple because it is protected by many wards and runes which prevent even heavenly trespassers. Of course, these would pose no challenge for Mordecai, but Zen did not have the mastery of sacred magics that her eldest brother did. She then chose to recall a lecture on protective wards and runes he had given her long ago. She closed her eyes with her hands outstretched and started to practice what she had been taught.
"Ward and runes have a structure to them. Use your senses to feel how the magical energy flows withing the structure. There is always a center. When you have discerned where the center that holds the structure of the magic together is, pour your own energy into it. When you pour too much energy for it to disperse, the magic will lose its integrity and cause all the wards and runes to collapse." Mordecai's words echoed in Zen's head as she attempted to break through the barrier protecting the temple.
Elijah was somewhat taken back Zen's actions since he could not see what she was doing. It appeared to him as if she was just feeling the air for some strange reason.
Then suddenly, Zen opened her eyes and poured and immense amount of energy into the invisible barrier. The ground around them began to tremble and the sand started floating and swirling around them.
Elijah's eyes widened as he doubted any mortal eyes had ever seen what he was witnessing right now. Magic circles began to come into view. They were held together by purple chains of energy that resembled lightning and they were all vibrating more intensely as Zen poured her energy into them. Then they shattered from the center out and a temple made of pure gold appeared.
The temple was a perfect pyramid. Elijah had never seen such a marvelous structure before. He wondered what kind of divine being even thought up such a thing. Let alone had the wealth and skill to build it.
"Let's go." Zen's words snapped Elijah out of his daze and he proceeded to follow her into the temple.
Eventually they reached the doors of a certain chamber that had an ominous feeling to them.
"I can guide you no further than here, Elijah. Remember your oath to me. Once you say the name of the one who built this place, your rite will begin. Are you ready?"
"Yes, goddess. Thank you for guiding me here. I will keep my oath to you return an immortal. I can feel it. I am supposed to be here. I was born for this."
Zen nodded and said her final words to Elijah, "Say his name."
"Gilgamesh."